Starts off with Beautiful Basics, a clinic for new-to-the-game players and others who just like working on fundamentals, 9am in super trendy Somerville. Followed closely at 10:30am by a robust Intermediate Skills & Scrimmage Clinic in which players run drills like in a college practice and end with a full court game to put it all together.

At 3:45pm we swing over to Fidelity House, Arlington Ctr, the gym where Pat Connaughton put together ll the great pieces to his game. Two one hour Parent/Kid Clinics: first for kids ages 7-11 (though my 2 and 6 year olds are allowed to sneak in) and at 4:45pm, ages 12 and up! Play the game the best way, the fun way!

Next, like dessert after a great meal we go home and watch (on tape) the Celtics edge LeBron and the Cavs at the buzzer in a Game One, Round One upset! (posted 17 minutes before tipoff)

1. Want the ball? Show your hands; give the passer a target. A pitcher throwing to a catcher without a catcher giving a target would have a much harder time putting the ball where it should go. Same with receiving a basketball. I worked out Howard Eisley (12 year NBA pro) for a couple of summers and on the first day I told him, “show your hands”; he did it every time for the hours and hours we spent together plus every time I saw him playing on tv. Good enough for for an NBA 12 year pro? Good enough for you.

2. Take a hard last dribble, or at least a firmer dribble when finishing a layup or going up for a jumper. It allows you to feel the ball more solidly coming into your hands and helps establish the rhythm for the shot.

3. Backdoor cuts: don’t wait for the defender to overplay you or wait for the defender to get way out of position; just recognize when the defender’s momentum is taking that player away from the basket and then you plant your foot and go! As soon as their momentum goes out, you go in. Two points plus the foul!

4. Ever start to set a down screen from the wing and find yourself walking into your own defender? Frustrating at first because it feels like they are getting physical with you and not letting you go where you want to go. In fact, you should take a moment and shake your defender’s hand because they are giving you two points! Any time the defender is not between you and the ball, means you can get between them and the ball for an easy catch. Walking down from the wing and walking into the defender means you should take them almost to where you want to screen and then step over with your inside foot, sealing them on your back, arm bars up for the catch and score!

5. If you find yourself ahead of the all the defense and a defender is jogging slightly trailing you and they are looking at you rather than the ball, fake as if the ball is coming on a “home run pass” to you. They react with panic. The ball isn’t coming but it helps make the defender feel stupid; always a good thing.